Slam capable latch and lock system

A latch assembly for releasably retainingly engaging a striker, comprising:

• a) a frame formed as a one-piece stamping from sheet metal and having a relatively flat base portion that extends within a first plane, a pair of formations that extend away from the base portion in a plane that substantially parallels the first plane to define first and second arms that define a striker receiving channel between opposed portions of the first and second arms;
• b) means for defining a generally cylindrical mounting pin that is connected to and extends away from the flat base portion along an axis that is substantially perpendicular to the first plane;
• c) an operating arm formed as a one-piece stamping from sheet metal and having a relatively flat central region positioned to closely overlie the relatively flat base portion of the frame, with a hole being formed through the relatively flat central region through which the mounting pin extends to connect the operating arm and the frame for relative pivotal movement about said axis;
• d) means for defining a limited range of permitted relative pivotal movement that can take place between the operating arm and the frame including first and second spaced-apart stop formations defined by a selected one of the frame and the operating arm, and a stop engageable formation defined by the other of the frame and the operating arm that is configured to engage the first stop formation at one end of said range of movement, and to engage the second stop formation at the other end of said range of movement;
• e) a latch arm formed as a one-piece stamping from sheet metal and having a relatively flat portion positioned to closely overlie the relatively flat central region of the operating arm, with a hole being formed through the relatively flat portion through which the mounting pin extends to connect the latch arm and the frame for relative pivotal movement about said axis, with the latch arm defining a hook-shaped formation at a location spaced from said axis, with the hook-shaped formation having a first surface configured to be engaged by a striker that is moving along a path of travel into the striker receiving channel to cause pivotal movement of the latch arm in one direction of rotation about said axis to pivot the hook-shaped formation out of said path of travel, and with the hook-shaped formation also having a second surface configured to retain the striker within the striker receiving channel once the hook-shaped formation has pivoted in a direction of rotation opposite to said one direction to position the second surface to block withdrawal of the striker from the channel;
• f) means for defining a lost-motion connection between the latch arm and the operating arm for permitting the latch arm to move in said one direction of rotation without causing corresponding pivotal movement of the operating arm in said one direction when torque is applied to the latch arm to effect said one direction rotation of the latch arm, and for permitting the operating arm to drive the latch arm in said one direction of rotation to thereby effect corresponding pivotal movement of the latch arm and the operating arm in said one direction when torque is applied to the operating arm to effect said one direction rotation of the operating arm;
• g) biasing means for biasing the latch arm to apply torque thereto for pivoting the latch arm in said opposite direction of rotation, and for utilizing the lost motion connection means to transfer from the latch arm to the operating arm said torque applied by the biasing means to pivot the operating arm in said opposite direction and to thereby bias the stop engageable formation toward engagement with the second stop formation;
• and,
• h) means for defining a point of connection on the operating arm at a location spaced from said axis for receiving an application of torque to the operating arm for rotating the operating arm in said one direction of rotation to drive the latch arm in said one direction of rotation to pivot the hook-shaped formation of the latch arm to position the second surface so that it no longer blocks withdrawal of the striker from the striker receiving channel to thereby unlatch the latch mechanism from retainingly engaging the striker.

A flush mountable handle operable latch assembly for releasably retainingly engaging a striker, comprising:

• a) a relatively shallow pan-shaped housing having a relatively flat back wall portion located at the rear of a forwardly facing recess that is surrounded by a rim that extends in a plane that substantially parallels a plane of the relatively flat back wall portion, with an opening formed through the back wall portion;
• b) a handle configured to normally be substantially nested within the recess, and being connected to the housing for pivotal movement between a normal nested position and an operated position;
• c) a frame connected to the housing and having a relatively flat base portion that overlies the relatively flat back wall portion and extends within a first plane that substantially parallels the plane of the back wall portion, wherein the frame also has a pair of formations that extend away from the base portion in a plane that substantially parallels the first plane to define first and second arms that define a striker receiving channel between opposed portions of the first and second arms;
• d) means for defining a generally cylindrical mounting pin that is connected to and extends away from the flat base portion along an axis that is substantially perpendicular to the first plane;
• e) an operating arm formed as a one-piece stamping from sheet metal and having a relatively flat central region positioned to closely overlie the relatively flat base portion of the frame, with a hole being formed through the relatively flat central region through which the mounting pin extends to connect the operating arm and the frame for relative pivotal movement about said axis;
• f) means for defining a limited range of permitted relative pivotal movement that can take place between the operating arm and the frame including a first stop formation defined by a selected one of the frame and the back wall portion, a second stop formation defined by a chosen one of the frame and the back wall portion, and a stop engageable formation defined by the operating arm for engaging the first stop formation at one end of said range of movement, and to engage the second stop formation at the other end of said range of movement;
• g) means for establishing a driving connection between the operating handle and the operating arm for pivoting the operating in one direction of movement in response to movement of the operating handle from the nested position to the operated position;
• h) a latch arm formed as a one-piece stamping from sheet metal and having a relatively flat portion positioned to closely overlie the relatively flat central region of the operating arm, with a hole being formed through the relatively flat portion through which the mounting pin extends to connect the latch arm and the frame for relative pivotal movement about said axis, with the latch arm defining a hook-shaped formation at a location spaced from said axis, with the hook-shaped formation having a first surface configured to be engaged by a striker that is moving along a path of travel into the striker receiving channel to cause pivotal movement of the latch arm in said one direction of rotation about said axis to pivot the hook-shaped formation out of said path of travel, and with the hook-shaped formation also having a second surface configured to retain the striker within the striker receiving channel once the hook-shaped formation has pivoted in a direction of rotation opposite to said one direction to position the second surface to block withdrawal of the striker from the channel;
• i) means for permitting the latch arm to move in said one direction of rotation without causing corresponding pivotal movement of the operating arm in said one direction to thereby enable a striker to be moved rapidly into the striker receiving channel and into latched engagement with the latch assembly without causing pivotal movement of the operating arm if the striker engages the first surface and thereby causes the latch arm to pivot out of the path of travel followed by the striker in moving into the striker receiving channel;
• j) biasing means for biasing the latch arm to apply torque thereto for pivoting the latch arm in said opposite direction of rotation, and for utilizing the lost motion connection means to transfer from the latch arm to the operating arm said torque applied by the biasing means to pivot the operating arm in said opposite direction and to thereby bias the stop engageable formation toward engagement with the second stop formation;
• and,
• k) means for defining on the operating arm at a location spaced from said axis at least one connection formation for receiving an application of torque to the operating arm for rotating the operating arm in said one direction of rotation to drive the latch arm in said one direction of rotation to pivot the hook-shaped formation of the latch arm to position the second surface so that it does not block withdrawal of the striker from the striker receiving channel to thereby unlatch the latch mechanism from retainingly engaging the striker.

A latch system for releasably latchingly engaging a striker, comprising:

• a) an operating assembly having an operating member that is movable from a normal position to an operated position;
• b) a latch assembly having an operating arm that can be moved from a first position to a second position to unlatch the latch assembly from a striker;
• c) means for establishing a driving connection between the operating member and the operating arm for causing the operating arm to move from the first position to the second position in response to movement of the operating member from the normal position to the operated position;
• d) wherein the latch assembly includes:
• i) a frame formed as a one-piece stamping from sheet metal and having a relatively flat base portion that extends within a first plane, a pair of formations that extend away from the base portion in a plane that substantially parallels the first plane to define first and second arms that define a striker receiving channel between opposed portions of the first and second arms;
• ii) means for defining a generally cylindrical mounting pin that is connected to and extends away from the flat base portion along an axis that is substantially perpendicular to the first plane;
• iii) an operating arm formed as a one-piece stamping from sheet metal and having a relatively flat central region positioned to closely overlie the relatively flat base portion of the frame, with a hole being formed through the relatively flat central region through which the mounting pin extends to connect the operating arm and the frame for relative pivotal movement about said axis;
• iv) means for defining a limited range of permitted relative pivotal movement that can take place between the operating arm and the frame including first and second spaced-apart stop formations defined by a selected one of the frame and the operating arm, and a stop engageable formation defined by the other of the frame and the operating arm that is configured to engage the first stop formation at one end of said range of movement, and to engage the second stop formation at the other end of said range of movement;
• v) a latch arm formed as a one-piece stamping from sheet metal and having a relatively flat portion positioned to closely overlie the relatively flat central region of the operating arm, with a hole being formed through the relatively flat portion through which the mounting pin extends to connect the latch arm and the frame for relative pivotal movement about said axis, with the latch arm defining a hook-shaped formation at a location spaced from said axis, with the hook-shaped formation having a first surface configured to be engaged by a striker that is moving along a path of travel into the striker receiving channel to cause pivotal movement of the latch arm in one direction of rotation about said axis to pivot the hook-shaped formation out of said path of travel, and with the hook-shaped formation also having a second surface configured to retain the striker within the striker receiving channel once the hook-shaped formation has pivoted in a direction of rotation opposite to said one direction to position the second surface to block withdrawal of the striker from the channel;
• vi) means for permitting the latch arm to move in said one direction of rotation without causing corresponding pivotal movement of the operating arm in said one direction to thereby enable a striker to be moved rapidly into the striker receiving channel and into latched engagement with the latch assembly without causing pivotal movement of the operating arm if the striker engages the first surface and thereby causes the latch arm to pivot out of the path of travel followed by the striker in moving into the striker receiving channel;
• vii) biasing means for biasing the latch arm to apply torque thereto for pivoting the latch arm in said opposite direction of rotation, and for utilizing the lost motion connection means to transfer from the latch arm to the operating arm said torque applied by the biasing means to pivot the operating arm in said opposite direction and to thereby bias the stop engageable formation toward engagement with the second stop formation;
• and,
• viii) means for defining on the operating arm at a location spaced from said axis at least one connection formation for receiving an application of torque to the operating arm for rotating the operating arm in said one direction of rotation to drive the latch arm in said one direction of rotation to pivot the hook-shaped formation of the latch arm to position the second surface so that it does not block withdrawal of the striker from the striker receiving channel to thereby unlatch the latch mechanism from retainingly engaging the striker.